RFID switch tag

ABSTRACT

Various embodiments of RFID switch devices are disclosed herein. Such RFID switch devices advantageously enable manual activation/deactivation of the RF module. The RFID switch device may include a RF module with an integrated circuit adapted to ohmically connect to a substantially coplanar conductive trace pattern, as well as booster antenna for extending the operational range of the RFID device. The operational range of the RFID switch device may be extended when a region of the booster antenna overlaps a region of the conductive trace pattern on the RF module via inductive or capacitive coupling. The RFID switch device may further include a visual indicator displaying a first color if the RFID switch device is in an active state and/or a second color if the RFID switch device is in an inactive state.

RELATED APPLICATION INFORMATION

This application is a continuation application of U.S. application Ser.No. 15/996,345, entitled “RFID Switch Tag,” filed Jun. 1, 2018, now U.S.Pat. No. 10,262,253 issued on Apr. 16, 2019, which, in turn, is acontinuation application of U.S. application Ser. No. 15/705,198,entitled “RFID Switch Tag,” filed Sep. 14, 2017, now U.S. Pat. No.10,147,034 issued on Dec. 4, 2018, which is a continuation applicationof U.S. application Ser. No. 15/445,731, entitled “RFID Switch Tag,”filed Feb. 28, 2017, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,767,404, issued on Sep. 19,2017, which is a continuation application of U.S. application Ser. No.14/578,196, entitled “RFID Switch Tag,” filed Dec. 19, 2014, now U.S.Pat. No. 9,582,746, issued on Feb. 28, 2017, which is a continuationapplication of U.S. application Ser. No. 14/060,407, entitled “RFIDSwitch Tag,” filed Oct. 22, 2013, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,944,337, issued onFeb. 3, 2015, which is a continuation application of U.S. applicationSer. No. 13/465,834, filed May 7, 2012, entitled “RFID Switch Tag,” nowU.S. Pat. No. 8,561,911, issued on Oct. 22, 2013, which claims thebenefit of priority under 35 U.S.C. 119(e) to U.S. ProvisionalApplication No. 61/487,372, entitled “RFID Switch Tag,” filed May 18,2011 and claims the benefit of priority under 35 U.S.C. 119(e) to U.S.Provisional Application No. 61/483,586, entitled “RFID Switch Tag,”filed May 6, 2011, all of which are incorporated herein by reference asif set forth in full; U.S. application Ser. No. 15/966,345 is also acontinuation application of U.S. Ser. No. 15/705,210, entitled “RFIDSwitch Tag,” filed Sep. 14, 2017, now U.S. Pat. No. 10,140,568 issuedNov. 7, 2018, which is a continuation application of U.S. Ser. No.15/257,814, entitled “RFID Switch Tag,” filed on Sep. 6, 2016, now U.S.Pat. No. 9,767,403, issued on Sep. 19, 2017, which is a continuationapplication of U.S. Ser. No. 14/480,458, entitled “RFID Switch Tag,”filed on Sep. 8, 2014, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,436,900, issued on Sep. 6,2016, which is a continuation application of U.S. Ser. No. 13/465,829,entitled “RFID Switch Tag,” filed on May 7, 2012, now U.S. Pat. No.8,844,831, issued on Sep. 30, 2014, which claims the benefit of priorityunder 35 U.S.C. 119(e) to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No.61/483,586 filed May 6, 2011 and claims the benefit of priority under 35U.S.C. 119(e) to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/487,372 filedMay 18, 2011, the contents of all of which are incorporated herein byreference in their entireties as if set forth in full.

BACKGROUND 1. Field of the Invention

The embodiments described herein relate generally to the field ofradio-frequency identification (RFID) devices, and more particularly, toRFID switch tags.

2. Related Art

Conventional RFID tags lack the ability to be deactivated. However,there are certain situations where it is actually desirable to have anRFID tag deactivated. For example, in the context of traveling, RFIDtags will often contain sensitive personal information stored within,for instance, an e-Passport, a visa, or a national identification card.Such information may contain the traveler's name, birth date, place ofbirth, nationality, and/or biometric information associated with thattraveler. This information is intended to be read only by customsofficials or other governmental authorities when the traveler enters orexits a country. However, since the read range of RFID tags can extendup to 30 feet, since an RFID tag does not need to be directly in theline of sight of an RFID reader, this sensitive information may be readby any number of unauthorized individuals as the individual walksthrough a train station or an airport. Unless the traveler houses histravel documents within a Faraday shield or other type ofelectro-resistant casing (which most travelers do not have), thesensitive information stored within the RFID tag remains perpetually atrisk of being read by these unauthorized parties.

As a second example, consider RFID tags that are installed withinautomobiles, where such tags are used to facilitate automatic billingfor the repeated use of certain toll-roads. In some of these toll-roads,the use of a car-pool lane is considered free of charge (which may bevalidly used, for example, when the automobile is housing at least onepassenger other than the driver). Since a driver's RFID tag may not bedeactivated, however, the RFID tag may respond to an interrogationsignal issued from the toll-gate even when the driver has validly usedthe carpool lane. The result is that the driver may be billed for usingthe toll-road even when such use should have been considered free ofcharge because of the driver's valid use of the car-pool lane.

What is needed is a system for an RFID tag that may be easily activatedor deactivated. Ideally, the system should be versatile and provide aclear sensory indication of the operational status of the RFID tag(i.e., activated or deactivated).

SUMMARY

Various embodiments of the present invention are directed to RFID switchdevices. Such RFID switch devices advantageously enable manualactivation/deactivation of the RF module. The RFID switch device mayinclude a RF module with an integrated circuit adapted to ohmicallyconnect to a substantially coplanar conductive trace pattern, as well asbooster antenna for extending the operational range of the RFID device.The operational range of the RFID switch device may be extended when aregion of the booster antenna overlaps a region of the conductive tracepattern on the RF module via inductive or capacitive coupling. In someembodiments, all or a portion of the booster antenna may at leastpartially shield the RF module when the RFID switch device is in aninactive state. The RFID switch device may further include a visualindicator displaying a first color if the RFID switch device is in anactive state and/or a second color if the RFID switch device is in aninactive state.

In a first exemplary aspect, an RFID device is disclosed. In oneembodiment, the RFID device comprises: a booster antenna adapted toextend the operational range of the RFID device; an RF module comprisingan integrated circuit and a set of one or more conductive traces,wherein at least one conductive trace of said set of one or moreconductive traces is adapted to electrically couple to a coupling regionof the booster antenna when the coupling region of the booster antennais located in a first position relative to said set of one or moreconductive traces; and a switching mechanism adapted to change theposition of the coupling region of the booster antenna relative to theposition of said at least one conductive trace.

In a second exemplary aspect, an RFID transponder is disclosed. In oneembodiment, the RFID transponder comprises: a first substrate comprisinga first conductive trace pattern, wherein at least a portion of thefirst substrate is adapted to serve as an antenna for the RFIDtransponder; a second substrate comprising an integrated circuit and asecond conductive trace pattern, wherein at least a portion of thesecond conductive trace pattern is adapted to electrically couple withat least a portion of the first conductive trace pattern when the firstsubstrate is located in a first position relative to the secondsubstrate; and a switching mechanism adapted to switch the position ofthe first substrate between a first position and at least a secondposition.

In a third exemplary aspect, an RFID device is disclosed. In oneembodiment, the RFID device comprises: a booster antenna adapted toextend the operational range of the RFID device; a first RF modulecomprising a first integrated circuit and a first conductive tracepattern, wherein at least a portion of the first conductive tracepattern is adapted to electrically couple to a coupling region of thebooster antenna when the coupling region of the booster antenna islocated in a first position relative to the first conductive tracepattern; a second RF module comprising a second integrated circuit and asecond conductive trace pattern, wherein at least a portion of thesecond conductive trace pattern is adapted to electrically couple to thecoupling region of the booster antenna when the coupling region of thebooster antenna is located in a second position relative to the secondconductive trace pattern; and a switching mechanism adapted to changethe position of the coupling region of the booster antenna relative tothe positions of said first and second RF modules.

In a fourth exemplary aspect, an RFID device is disclosed. In oneembodiment, the RFID device comprises: a first booster antenna adaptedto extend the operational range of a first RF module; a second boosterantenna adapted to extend the operational range of a second RF module;the first RF module comprising a first integrated circuit and a firstconductive trace pattern, wherein at least a portion of the firstconductive trace pattern is adapted to electrically couple to a couplingregion of the first booster antenna when the coupling region of thefirst booster antenna is located in a first position relative to thefirst conductive trace pattern; a second RF module comprising a secondintegrated circuit and a second conductive trace pattern, wherein atleast a portion of the second conductive trace pattern is adapted toelectrically couple to the coupling region of the second booster antennawhen the coupling region of the second booster antenna is located in asecond position relative to the second conductive trace pattern; and aswitching mechanism adapted to change the position of the couplingregion of the first booster antenna relative to the first RF module, andthe position of the coupling region of the second booster antennarelative to the second RF module.

In a fifth exemplary aspect, an RFID device is disclosed. In oneembodiment, the RFID device comprises: a first booster antenna adaptedto extend the operational range of an RF module as used with a firstRFID service; a second booster antenna adapted to extend the operationalrange of the RF module as used with a second RFID service; the RF modulecomprising an integrated circuit and a conductive trace pattern, whereinat least a portion of the conductive trace pattern is adapted toelectrically couple to a coupling region of the first booster antennawhen the coupling region of the first booster antenna is located in afirst position relative to the conductive trace pattern; and wherein atleast a portion of the conductive trace pattern is adapted toelectrically couple to a coupling region of the second booster antennawhen the coupling region of the second booster antenna is located in asecond position relative to the conductive trace pattern; and aswitching mechanism adapted to change the position of the RF modulerelative to the respective coupling regions of the first and secondbooster antennas.

Other features and advantages of the present invention should becomeapparent from the following description of the preferred embodiments,taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate,by way of example, the principles of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Various embodiments disclosed herein are described in detail withreference to the following figures. The drawings are provided forpurposes of illustration only and merely depict typical or exemplaryembodiments. These drawings are provided to facilitate the reader'sunderstanding of the invention and shall not be considered limiting ofthe breadth, scope, or applicability of the embodiments. It should benoted that for clarity and ease of illustration these drawings are notnecessarily made to scale.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary RFID systemaccording to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2A is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary RFID switch tagwith its RF module located in a first position relative to its boosterantenna according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2B is a block diagram of the exemplary RFID switch tag with its RFmodule located in a second position relative to its booster antennaaccording to the embodiment depicted in FIG. 2A.

FIG. 2C is a block diagram of the RFID switch tag depicted in FIGS. 2Aand 2B as depicted within an exemplary casing featuring aposition-altering mechanism according to one embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary RFID switch tagincluding two RF modules and a single booster antenna according to oneembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary RFID switch tagincluding two RF modules and two corresponding booster antennasaccording to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary RFID switch tagincluding a single RF module and two booster antennas that are tuned todifferent frequencies according to one embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 6A is a front-side view of an exemplary switch-activated RFID tagaccording to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6B is a perspective view of the back side of the exemplaryswitch-activated RFID tag according to the embodiment depicted in FIG.6A.

FIG. 7A is a back-side view of an exemplary circular-shaped androtatable RFID switch tag in a first position according to oneembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7B is a back-side view of the exemplary circular-shaped androtatable RFID switch tag in a second position according to theembodiment depicted in FIG. 7A.

FIG. 7C is a front-side view of the exemplary circular-shaped androtatable RFID switch tag depicted in FIGS. 7A and 7B.

FIG. 8A is a perspective view of the back side of an exemplarytriangular-shaped and rotatable RFID switch tag in a first positionaccording to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8B is a back-side view of the exemplary triangular-shaped androtatable RFID switch tag in a second position according to theembodiment depicted in FIG. 8A.

FIG. 8C is a front-side of the exemplary triangular-shaped and rotatableRFID switch tag depicted in FIGS. 8A and 8B.

FIG. 9A is a perspective view of the back side of an exemplaryswitch-activated RFID tag according to one embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 9B is a front-side view of the exemplary switch-activated RFID tagdepicted in FIG. 9A.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of an exemplary slide-activated RFID tagaccording to one embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

RFID is an automatic identification method, relying on storing andremotely retrieving data using devices called RFID tags or transponders.The technology relies on cooperation between an RFID reader and an RFIDtag. RFID tags can be applied to or incorporated within a variety ofproducts, packaging, and identification mechanisms for the purpose ofidentification and tracking using radio waves. For example, RFID is usedin enterprise supply chain management to improve the efficiency ofinventory tracking and management. Some tags can be read from severalmeters away and beyond the line of sight of the RFID reader.

Most RFID tags contain at least two parts: One is an integrated circuitfor storing and processing information, for modulating and demodulatinga radio-frequency (RF) signal, and for performing other specializedfunctions. The second is an antenna for receiving and transmitting thesignal. As the name implies, RFID tags are often used to store anidentifier that can be used to identify the item to which the tag isattached or incorporated. An RFID tag may also contain non-volatilememory for storing additional data as well. In some cases, the memorymay be writable or electrically erasable programmable read-only memory(i.e., EEPROM).

Most RFID systems use a modulation technique known as backscatter toenable the tags to communicate with the reader or interrogator. In abackscatter system, the interrogator transmits a Radio Frequency (RF)carrier signal that is reflected by the RFID tag. In order tocommunicate data back to the interrogator, the tag alternately reflectsthe RF carrier signal in a pattern understood by the interrogator. Incertain systems, the interrogator can include its own carrier generationcircuitry to generate a signal that can be modulated with data to betransmitted to the interrogator.

RFID tags come in one of three types: passive, active, and semi passive.Passive RFID tags have no internal power supply. The minute electricalcurrent induced in the antenna by the incoming RF signal from theinterrogator provides just enough power for the, e.g., CMOS integratedcircuit in the tag to power up and transmit a response. Most passivetags transmit a signal by backscattering the carrier wave from thereader. This means that the antenna has to be designed both to collectpower from the incoming signal and also to transmit the outboundbackscatter signal.

Passive tags have practical read distances ranging from about 10 cm (4in.) (ISO 14443) up to a few meters (Electronic Product Code (EPC) andISO 18000-6), depending on the chosen radio frequency and antennadesign/size. The lack of an onboard power supply means that the devicecan be quite small. For example, commercially available products existthat can be embedded in a sticker, or under the skin in the case of lowfrequency RFID tags.

Unlike passive RFID tags, active RFID tags have their own internal powersource, which is used to power the integrated circuits and to broadcastthe response signal to the reader. Communications from active tags toreaders is typically much more reliable, i.e., fewer errors, than frompassive tags. Active tags, due to their on-board power supply, may alsotransmit at higher power levels than passive tags, allowing them to bemore robust in “RF challenged” environments, such as high environments,humidity or with dampening targets (including humans/cattle, whichcontain mostly water), reflective targets from metal (shippingcontainers, vehicles), or at longer distances. In turn, active tags aregenerally bigger, caused by battery volume, and more expensive tomanufacture, caused by battery price. Many active tags today haveoperational ranges of hundreds of meters, and a battery life of up to 10years. Active tags can include larger memories than passive tags, andmay include the ability to store additional information received fromthe reader, although this is also possible with passive tags.

Semi-passive tags are similar to active tags in that they have their ownpower source, but the battery only powers the microchip and does notpower the broadcasting of a signal. The response is usually powered bymeans of backscattering the RF energy from the reader, where energy isreflected back to the reader as with passive tags. An additionalapplication for the battery is to power data storage. Thebattery-assisted reception circuitry of semi-passive tags leads togreater sensitivity than passive tags, typically 100 times more. Theenhanced sensitivity can be leveraged as increased range (by onemagnitude) and/or as enhanced read reliability (by reducing bit errorrate at least one magnitude).

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary RFID systemaccording to one embodiment of the present invention. As shown by thisfigure, RFID interrogator 102 communicates with one or more RFID tags110. Data can be exchanged between interrogator 102 and RFID tag 110 viaradio transmit signal 108 and radio receive signal 112. RFIDinterrogator 102 may include RF transceiver 104, which contains bothtransmitter and receiver electronics configured to respectively generateand receive radio transit signal 108 and radio receive signal 112 viaantenna 106. The exchange of data may be accomplished viaelectromagnetic or electrostatic coupling in the RF spectrum incombination with various modulation and encoding schemes.

RFID tag 110 can be a transponder attached to an object of interest andserve as an information storage mechanism. The RFID tag 110 may itselfcontain an RF module 120 (including an integrated circuit 122 andconductive trace pattern 124) as well as its own antenna 126. All or aportion of the antenna 126 may be adapted to interact with theconductive trace pattern 124 in order to gather energy from the RF fieldto enable the device circuit 122 to function. In some embodiments, theantenna 126 used to gather the RF energy may be in a different plane asthat of the integrated circuit 122.

The data in the transmit signal 108 and receive signals 112 may becontained in one or more bits for the purpose of providingidentification and other information relevant to the particular RFID tagapplication. When RFID tag 110 passes within the range of the radiofrequency magnetic or electromagnetic field emitted by antenna 106, RFIDtag 110 is excited and transmits data back to RF interrogator 102. Achange in the impedance of RFID tag 110 can be used to signal the datato RF interrogator 102 via the receive signal 112. The impedance changein RFID tag 110 can be caused by producing a short circuit across thetag's antenna connections (not shown) in bursts of very short duration.RF transceiver 104 can sense the impedance change as a change in thelevel of reflected or backscattered energy arriving at antenna 106.

Digital electronics 114 (which in some embodiments comprises amicroprocessor with RAM) performs decoding and reading of the receivesignal 112. Similarly, digital electronics 114 performs the coding ofthe transmit signal 108. Thus, RF interrogator 102 facilitates thereading or writing of data to RFID tags, e.g. RFID tag 110 that arewithin range of the RF field emitted by antenna 104. Together, RFtransceiver 104 and digital electronics 114 comprise reader 118.Finally, digital electronics 114 and can be interfaced with an integraldisplay and/or provide a parallel or serial communications interface toa host computer or industrial controller, e.g. host computer 116.

As stated above, conventional RFID devices lack the ability to bemanually activated or deactivated. Various embodiments of the presentinvention are therefore directed to an RFID switch tag adapted to allowa user to manually change the operational state of the RFID device byactivation of a lever, switch, knob, slider, rotating member, or othersimilar structure.

As shown generally by the embodiments depicted in FIGS. 2A-2C, a tag mayprovided that includes an RF module, strap, or interposer, as well as abooster antenna 210. The RF module 220 may comprise an RFID integratedcircuit in an ohmic connection to impedance matched conductive tracepattern in the same plane as the integrated circuit. Even though the RFmodule 220 is fully functional and testable, it may have a limited rangeof operation due to the small surface area of the conductive tracepattern.

According to one embodiment, the operational range of the RF module 220can be increased by conductive or inductive coupling. For example, animpedance matched booster antenna 210 can be used in conjunction withthe RF module 220. In one embodiment, this booster antenna 210 consistsof a conductive trace pattern on a substrate. In this example, there isno RF device on the booster antenna 210. Rather, the RF module 220 andbooster antenna 210 are provided with an area where they can overlap sothat the capacitive or inductive coupling of energy occurs. The RFenergy gathered from the booster antenna 210 may be transferred throughthe RF module substrate and conducted into the RF module 220. This isillustrated in FIG. 2A. As shown, the RF module 220 may be positionedrelative to the booster antenna 210 such that RF energy gathered via thebooster antenna 210 is transferred to the RF module 220.

While not shown, RF module 220 may comprise an RFID integrated circuitand a conductive trace pattern. These trace patterns can then be eitherinductively or capacitively coupled with a booster antenna 210. Foroptimal performance, the booster antenna 210 may be matched with theRFID integrated circuit inputs. If RF module 220 is displaced or notsufficiently coupled with antenna 210, then the operational range of thetag can be significantly reduced.

Thus, the placement of the RF module 220 with respect to the boosterantenna 210 may alter the operational range and performance of the RFIDtag 110. This is illustrated in FIG. 2B. In FIG. 2B, the relativepositions of the RF module 220 and the booster antenna 210 are differentthan the arrangement shown in FIG. 2A. In the arrangement of FIG. 2B, asmaller portion, or none, of the RF energy collected by the boosterantenna 210 is transferred to the RF module 220. In this manner, theeffective operational range of the RFID tag 110 may be reduced ascompared to the arrangement of FIG. 2A. In fact, because RF module 220is completely or at least partially shielded by a portion of antenna210, RFID communications between the RFID tag 110 and the RFID readerinterrogator 102 may be completely halted. This non-operational statemay be useful, for instance, in situations where it is desirable torender the RFID tag 110 unresponsive to an RFID interrogation signal.For example, as noted above, when no toll is due on a toll road due tothe number of passengers in the car, it may be desirable for the RFIDtag 110 to be unresponsive to an RFID interrogation issued by a tollroad portal system.

In some embodiments, a mechanism is provided for selectively alteringthe relative position of RF module 220 and the booster antenna 210.Advantageously, this allows a user to selectively displace the RF module220 from an optimized position over the booster antenna 210 rendering itunresponsive or detuned such that it will not respond at a sufficientmeasurement or perform adequately. Thus, for example, when taking a tollroad that is free for car-pools, a user can manipulate the mechanism inorder to effectively deactivate the RFID tag 110 and avoid paying thetoll. In various embodiments, the mechanism may include a switch, lever,knob, slider, rotatable member, or any other device or constructionwhich serves this purpose.

A selectively-activatable RFID tag 110 is depicted in FIG. 2C. The RFIDtag 110 may comprise a slider mechanism 240 and an indicator area 250,where the RF module 220 is mechanically coupled to the slider 240. Bymanipulating the slider, a user modifies the relative positions of theRF module 220 and the booster antenna 210. The indicator area 250 mayprovide a visual indication of the status of the RFID tag 110. Forexample, if the RF module 220 and booster antenna 210 are positioned foreffective transfer of RF power, the indicator area 250 may present afirst visual indication such as a green color. Conversely, if the RFmodule 220 and booster antenna 210 are not positioned for effectivetransfer of RF power, the indicator area may provide a second visualindication such as a red color. In this manner, one or more individualscan be alerted of the effective operability of the RFID tag 110.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary RFID switch tagincluding two RF modules and a single booster antenna according to oneembodiment of the present invention. As shown, a single booster antenna310 is provided. However, in this embodiment two RF modules 322 and 324are shown. The booster antenna 310 and RF modules 322 and 324 may bepositioned such that only one of the two modules 322 and 324 iseffectively coupled to the booster antenna 310 at any one time. Forexample, as shown in FIG. 3, RF module 322 is coupled to the boosterantenna 310 while RF module 324 is shielded. Thus, RF module 322 iseffectively tuned and responsive, while RF module 324 is effectivelydetuned and unresponsive.

A mechanism (e.g., switch, slider, knob, lever, rotatable member, etc.)such as the slider 240 depicted in FIG. 2C may be provided forselectively altering the relative position of RF module 322 and 324 andthe booster antenna 310. In this manner, the positioning alteringmechanism can be manipulated to selectively cause zero or one of the twomodules 322 and 324 to be coupled to the antenna 310. For example, in afirst state, only module 322 may be coupled with the booster antenna310. In a second state, only module 324 may be coupled with boosterantenna 310. In a third state, neither modules 322 or 324 are coupledwith the booster antenna 310.

Advantageously, this arrangement allows a single RFID tag 110 to be usedfor multiple services. For example, one RF module, e.g. module 322, canbe associated with toll road portal system. The other RF module, e.g.,module 324, can be associated with a system for tracking car-pool laneuse. The user can manipulate the position altering mechanism in order tocouple the booster antenna 310 to the RF module 322 or 324 that isappropriate for current usage. In some embodiments, one or more visualsindicators may also be provided to indicate which RF module 322 or 324is currently coupled to the booster antenna. Note also that while onlytwo RF modules 322 and 324 are depicted in FIG. 3, any number of RFmodules may be used in accordance with embodiments of the presentinvention.

In the embodiment of FIG. 3, the RF modules 322 and 324 may be alignedhorizontally and the direction of movement caused by manipulation of theposition altering mechanism may likewise be horizontal. In otherembodiments, however, the RF modules 322 and 324 may be alignedvertically and the direction of movement may be vertical. In still otherembodiments, the RF modules 322, 324 may be arranged in an arcuatemanner and the direction of motion may also be arcuate. Various otherarrangements of the RF modules 322 and 324, the booster antenna 310, andthe direction of movement are also possible according to embodiments ofthe present invention.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary RFID switch tagincluding two RF modules and two corresponding booster antennasaccording to one embodiment of the present invention. As shown by thefigure, two booster antennas 412 and 414 and two RF modules 422 and 424are provided. In some embodiments, each RF module 422 and 424 may beassociated with a different RFID service such that a user mayindependently tune each pair of RF modules 422 and 424 and boosterantennas 412 and 414 present within the RFID tag 110. Note that whileonly two pairs of RF modules 422 and 424 and booster antennas 412 and414 are depicted in FIG. 4, any number of RF module/booster antennapairs may be utilized according to embodiments of the present invention.

While the embodiment depicted in FIG. 4 depicts the antennas 412 and 414as bearing similar physical properties (such as size and shape), eachbooster antenna 412 and 414 may have differing physical propertiesaccording to alternative embodiments. These differences may result indifferent properties for gathering RF energies. In some embodiments, theantennas 412 and 414 may be specifically tuned to different frequencies.

According to some embodiments, each of the RF modules 422 and 424 may beattached to single position altering mechanism (not shown). In thismanner, a user can manipulate the mechanism such that only one of thetwo RF modules 422 and 424 is coupled to its respective boost antenna412 or 414 at any one time. A visual indicator may be provided toindicate which RF module 422 or 424 is currently coupled to itsrespective booster antenna 412 and 414. In some embodiments, theposition altering mechanism may be manipulated such that both or neitherof the RF modules 422 or 424 are coupled to the respective boostantennas 412 or 414 at the same time.

In other embodiments, each of the RF modules 422 and 424 may be attachedto a separate position altering mechanism (not shown). According tothese embodiments, both, neither, or only one of the RF modules 422 or424 may be coupled to the respective boost antennas 412 and 414 at thesame time. The visual indicator may display a first color if the firstRF module 422 is active and a second color if the second RF module 424is active.

Note that in the embodiment depicted in FIG. 4, the booster antennas 412and 414 may be arranged along a vertical axis, and a horizontaldirection of motion is utilized via manipulation of the positionaltering mechanism. However, persons skilled in the art will appreciatethat the booster antennas 412 and 414 may be arranged horizontally,vertically, along an arc, in different planes, or in various othermanners. Additionally, the direction of motion may switch the RF modules422 and 424 between coupled and uncoupled positions for the respectivebooster antennas 412 and 414.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary RFID switch tagincluding a single RF module and two booster antennas that are tuned todifferent frequencies according to one embodiment of the presentinvention. As shown, a single RF module 520 may be provided, along withtwo booster antennas 512 and 514. The booster antennas 512 and 514 maybe configured with different physical properties to enable the RF module520 to switch between separate RFID services. In this respect, the RFmodule 520 may be mechanically coupled to a position altering mechanismsuch that the tag can be switched to select one or none of the boosterantennas 512 and 514. A visual indicator may display a first color ifthe first booster antenna 512 corresponding to a first RFID service isselected and a second color if the second booster antenna 514corresponding to a second RFID service is selected.

As in the case of FIG. 4, the booster antennas 512 and 514 may bearranged along a vertical axis and the direction of motion of the RFmodule 520 caused by manipulation of the position altering mechanism isvertical. In other embodiments, the booster antennas 512 and 514 may bearranged horizontally, along an arc, in different planes, or in anothermanner and the direction of motion is adapted to switch the RF module520 between the booster antennas 512 and 514.

FIGS. 6A-10 generally depict various embodiments of RFID switch tagswhich may be utilized, for example, within an automobile setting. Eachof the RFID switch tags may be affixed, fastened, or adhered to awindshield, rearview mirror, automobile exterior, or to various otherareas of the automobile according to embodiments of the presentinvention.

FIG. 6A is a front-side view of an exemplary switch-activated RFID tagaccording to one embodiment of the present invention, while FIG. 6B is aperspective view of the back side of the exemplary switch-activated RFIDtag according to the embodiment depicted in FIG. 6A. As shown by thefigure, the RFID tag may include a slider configuration 602 with awindow 604 on the outside and one or more icon graphics 606 on theopposite side. In some embodiments, an optional mounting component (notshown) may be used to adhere, fasten, or clip the RFID tag to a visor,for example.

FIG. 7A is a back-side view of an exemplary circular-shaped androtatable RFID switch tag in a first position according to oneembodiment of the present invention, FIG. 7B is a back-side view of theexemplary circular-shaped and rotatable RFID switch tag in a secondposition according to the embodiment depicted in FIG. 7A, while FIG. 7Cis a front-side view of the exemplary circular-shaped and rotatable RFIDswitch tag depicted in FIGS. 7A and 7B. As depicted in FIGS. 7A and 7B,a circular shaped member 702 may be rotated, for example, clockwise orcounterclockwise, in order to activate or deactivate the RFID switchtag. Icon graphics 706 on the back-side may be used to inform one ormore individuals of the activation state of the RFID switch tag.Optionally, a window 704 on the opposite side of the RFID switch tag(see FIG. 7C) may be used to reveal the activation state of the RFIDswitch tag to the outside.

FIG. 8A is a perspective view of the back side of an exemplarytriangular-shaped and rotatable RFID switch tag in a first positionaccording to one embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 8B is aback-side view of the exemplary triangular-shaped and rotatable RFIDswitch tag in a second position according to the embodiment depicted inFIG. 8A, while FIG. 8C is a front-side of the exemplarytriangular-shaped and rotatable RFID switch tag depicted in FIGS. 8A and8B. FIGS. 8A-8C may operate similar to FIG. 7A-7C, but utilize asubstantially triangular shape and design rather than a circular one.Various other shapes and designs may also be utilized in accordance withembodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 9A is a perspective view of the back side of an exemplaryswitch-activated RFID tag according to one embodiment of the presentinvention, while FIG. 9B is a front-side view of the exemplaryswitch-activated RFID tag depicted in FIG. 9A. As depicted in FIG. 9A,the RFID tag may utilize a slider configuration 902 with a windows onboth sides 904 and 905 of the RFID tag. Such an RFID tag may be adheredto the window of the automobile or may also use a cradle system formobility according to various embodiments.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a separate exemplary slide-activatedRFID tag according to one embodiment of the present invention. Accordingto some embodiments, no physical switch or level is utilized. Instead,the RFID tag may be activated or deactivated by manually sliding a firstsubstrate 1002 to or from a casing 1004.

While various embodiments of the present invention have been describedabove, it should be understood that they have been presented by way ofexample only, and not of limitation. The breadth and scope of thepresent invention should not be limited by any of the above-describedexemplary embodiments. Where this document refers to technologies thatwould be apparent or known to one of ordinary skill in the art, suchtechnologies encompass those apparent or known to the skilled artisannow or at any time in the future. In addition, the invention is notrestricted to the illustrated example architectures or configurations,but the desired features can be implemented using a variety ofalternative architectures and configurations. As will become apparent toone of ordinary skill in the art after reading this document, theillustrated embodiments and their various alternatives can beimplemented without confinement to the illustrated example. One ofordinary skill in the art would also understand how alternativefunctional, logical or physical partitioning and configurations could beutilized to implement the desired features of the present invention.

Furthermore, although items, elements or components of the invention maybe described or claimed in the singular, the plural is contemplated tobe within the scope thereof unless limitation to the singular isexplicitly stated. The presence of broadening words and phrases such as“one or more,” “at least,” “but not limited to” or other like phrases insome instances shall not be read to mean that the narrower case isintended or required in instances where such broadening phrases may beabsent.

What is claimed is:
 1. A wireless identification device, comprising: atleast one antenna section; at least one integrated circuit configured tocommunicate wirelessly with at least one reader; and a housingcomprising the at least one integrated circuit and comprising aswitching mechanism configured to change an operational state of the atleast one integrated circuit by changing a position of the at least oneintegrated circuit relative to the at least one antenna section.
 2. Thewireless identification device of claim 1, further comprising anindicator contained within the housing and configured to indicate astatus of the wireless identification device.
 3. The wirelessidentification device of claim 2, wherein the status of the wirelessidentification device is determined based at least in part on theoperational state of the at least one integrated circuit, and whereinthe indicator is adapted to display a first color when the at least oneintegrated circuit is in a first operational state and to display asecond color when the at least one integrated circuit is in a secondoperational state.
 4. The wireless identification device of claim 1,wherein the at least one integrated circuit comprises a plurality ofintegrated circuits, wherein the switching mechanism is configured tochange the operational state of each of the integrated circuits based onchanging the position of each of the integrated circuits relative to theat least one antenna section.
 5. The wireless identification device ofclaim 4, wherein the operational state of one of the integrated circuitsis an activated state while the operational state of the remainingintegrated circuits is a deactivated state.
 6. The wirelessidentification device of claim 4, wherein each of the plurality ofintegrated circuits is adapted to transmit different data to a differentsystem associated with each respective integrated circuit based on therespective operational state of the respective integrated circuit. 7.The wireless identification device of claim 4, wherein the at least oneantenna section comprises a plurality of antenna sections wherein one ormore of the plurality of integrated circuits are selectively coupled tothe plurality of antenna sections.
 8. The wireless identification deviceof claim 7, wherein each of the plurality of integrated circuits adaptedto transmit different data to a different system and operate atdifferent operational states when coupled with each of the plurality ofintegrated circuits.
 9. The wireless identification device of claim 1,wherein the at least one antenna section comprises at least one detunedantenna section, wherein the switching mechanism is configured to changethe position of the at least one integrated circuit so to couple the atleast one integrated circuit to the at least one detuned antenna sectionto form a tuned wireless transponder.
 10. The wireless identificationdevice of claim 9, wherein the at least one detuned antenna sectioncomprises a plurality of detuned antenna sections, wherein the at leastone integrated circuit is selectively coupled to each of the detunedantenna sections to form a plurality of tuned wireless transponders. 11.The wireless identification device of claim 10, wherein the at least oneintegrated circuit is coupled to one of the at least one detuned antennasection to form an associated tuned wireless transponder while theremaining detuned antenna sections remain deactivated.
 12. The wirelessidentification device of claim 10, wherein each of the plurality ofdetuned antenna sections is adapted to operate at a differentoperational state when coupled with the at least one integrated circuit.13. The wireless identification device of claim 1, wherein the housingis adaptable for installation on a surface of a vehicle.
 14. Thewireless identification device of claim 13, wherein the surfacecomprises one a front windshield, a sunroof, a moonroof, side doorwindows, a rearview mirror, rear windshield, and a side mirror.
 15. Thewireless identification device of claim 1, the at least one integratedcircuit communicates with a reader included in a tolling system.
 16. Thewireless identification device of claim 1, further comprising an RFIDmodule including the integrated circuit.